1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of lighting using variable color light emitting diodes (LED's).
2. Description of Related Art
LED's are used in various types of light systems, including indoor and outdoor lighting, automobile lighting and accessory lighting. LED's are useful in providing energy efficient bright light in various different colors. In vehicle accessory lighting, LED's can be used in light bars that can be mounted to vehicles, such as off road trucks, four-wheelers, racing vehicles, farm equipment, and recreational vehicles, or boats. Light bars that mount to vehicles typically use one or multiple rows of LED's of a single color. If multiple colors are desired in one high-power light bar, the light bar is typically equipped with a first array of single-color LED's in one color, and a second array of a single-color LED's in a different color. In these light bars, when the first array of single-color LED's is turned on, the first array of LED's emits a color. To emit the second color, the first array of LED's is turned off and a second group of single-color LED's is turned on. For example in a prior art light bar, a white and amber light bar may have a row of ten white LED's and a row of ten amber LED's for a total of twenty LED's. When a user selects the white light to be emitted, the ten white LED's are turned on, while the ten amber LED's are turned off. When a user selects the amber light, the ten amber LED's are turned on, and the ten white LED's are turned off. In the current variable color light bars, a given area of LED's is not being used when that color is turned off. This causes light output to be less in a variable color light bar than in a single-color light bar, because fewer LED's are being used to emit one color. In this prior art example, only ten LED's can emit white light. If the user desired more white light, the user could replace the amber LED's with white LED's and lose the amber lighting. Or, the user could add an additional light bar, which would take up more space on the vehicle.
So as to reduce the complexity and length of the Detailed Specification, and to fully establish the state of the art in certain areas of technology, Applicant(s) herein expressly incorporate(s) by reference all of the following materials identified in each numbered paragraph below.
U.S. Publication No. 2011/0074300 of Hsu describes a dual colored LED decoration lamp. Two individual single-color LED's of different colors are cross-linked together and then placed in a string where the string is powered in one direction at a time. Thus, two single-color LED's are placed close together, each making half of the dual colored LED.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,325,029 of Brooking describes a dual color light bar using a pair of light emitting chips for each of a plurality of light emitting diodes where one light emitting chip is energized at a time to produce one of two different colors of light.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,325,029 of Georgitsis describes a lighting systems configured to provide vehicle lighting using light emitting diodes (LED'S).
U.S. Pat. No. 8,287,144 of Pedersen describes LED bar modules comprising a number of LED groups where the LED groups comprise a number of LED's that have different colors where the LED's are electrically coupled to a color controller for generating light with changing colors.
U.S. Publication 20130033857 of Lin describes a LED light bar with separated portions located on the housing with LED package devices disposed on a circuit board where the LED package devices of each of the groups forms a closed loop.
Applicant(s) believe(s) that the material incorporated above is “non-essential” in accordance with 37 CFR 1.57, because it is referred to for purposes of indicating the background of the invention or illustrating the state of the art. However, if the Examiner believes that any of the above-incorporated material constitutes “essential material” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.57(c)(1)-(3), applicant(s) will amend the specification to expressly recite the essential material that is incorporated by reference as allowed by the applicable rules.